Automatic railway-switch.



W. T. LAWHORN & A. J. MARKS.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1911.

1 ,O22,631, I Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

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WILLIAM T. LAWHORN AND ANDREW J. MAR-KS,OF BIGKNELL, iNDIANA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 21, 1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.-

Serial No. 639,809.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WVILLIAM T. LAW- HORN and ANDREW J. MARKS, citizens of the United States, residing at Bicknell, in the county of Knox and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic railway switches either for steam or trolley lines, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device which may be actuated by an approaching train to open or close the switch and likewise to restore the switch to closed position.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that we shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device with the switch in closed position; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

The improved device may be installed without material structural changes either upon steam or electrically operated railways or trolley lines either of the overhead or underground system, but for the purpose of illustration is shown applied to an ordinary steam railway construction having the conventional point switch, the continuous main line rail being represented conventionally at 10, the siding side main rail being indicated at 11, and the stationary siding rail at 12, the latter being continuous with the rail 11 in the ordinary manner. The switch rails are represented respectively at 15-16 and connected at their swinging ends to the siding rails in the usual manner. The points of the switch rails are coupled near their swinging ends by a bar 17, the bar being pivoted at 18 to the switch rail 16 and provided with a longitudinal slot 19 near its other end through which a pin 20 depending from the switch rail 15 extends. A spring 21 connects the bar 17 and the switch rail 15 and thus holds the latter yieldably with its pin 20 at the inner end of the slot 19. Another spring 22 connects the opposite end of the bar 17 to one of the ties 23. By this means the switch rails are malntained yieldably in their closed position with the wedge-shaped point of the rail 16 bearing against the siding rail 12, while the point end of the switch rail 15 is maintained yieldably at the inner end of the slot 19 by the spring 21 and likewise in 0pera tive position relative to the rail 16. By this means the rail 15 may be moved away from the rail 16 through the movement of the pin 20 and against the resistance of the spring 21 independently of the rail 16, as hereafter explained.

Pivotally connected at 24 to one of th ties 23 is a lever arm 25, the lever arm being pivotally connected at one end to the bar 17. Pivoted at 26 to one of the ties 23, is a shorter trip lever 27, the latter adapted to engage against the lever 25 when in one position and holding the latter from movement as hereinafter explained. The trip lever 27 is provided with a spring 28 operating to yieldably maintain it in one position as hereafter explained.

Located upon one of the ties 23 at a suflicient distance from the switch to enable a trip device upon the approaching train to be employed, is a frame 29 carrying a vertical shaft 30 provided with a cross arm 31 upon its lower end and within the frame 29 and with another trip arm 32 at its upper end and above the frame 29. Located upon certain of the ties at convenient points are cable sheaves 3334. A pull cable 35 extends from the cross arm 31 at one end around the sheave 33 and thence to the trip lever 27, while a similar pull cable 36 extends from the lever 25 around the guide pulley 34 and to the opposite end of the trip arm 27 and operating lever 25 are in locked relations and with the trip arm 32 extending transversely of the track.

One or more members of the rolling stock of an approaching train, indicated conventionally at 37, will be provided with a pin indicated at 38 adapted to be moved downwardly into the path of the arm 32 and thus actuate the latter. If the train which is approaching is to pass on the main line the engineer or other operator pays no attention to the switch-actuating mechanism, and does not actuate the pin 38. If the train is to move upon the siding the engineer or other operator depresses the pin 38 before he reaches the frame 29, and when the pin thus strikes the arm 32 the pull cable 35 is slacked and the pull cable 36 is actuated and thus draws the lever 25 laterally and opens the switch against the resistance of the spring 22, and at the same time releases the lever 27 which passes behind the lever 25 and locks the switch in open position.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new is:

1. The combination with the main rails and siding, of switch rails, a coupling member connected to one of the switch rails and having sliding connection with the other switch rail, means for yieldably connecting said slidable switch rail to said coupling member, means operating upon said coupling member to hold the switch yieldably in closed position, a lever arm pivotally connected to said coupling member, a lock lever extending into the path of said lever arm, and means operative by an approaching train for actuating said lock lever and releasing said lever arm.

2. The combination with the main rails and siding, of switch rails, a coupling member connected to said switch rails, means for yieldably connecting said slidable switch rail to said coupling member, means oper ating upon said coupling member to hold the switch yieldably in closed position, a

lever arm pivotally connected to said coupling member, a lock lever extending into the path of said lever arm, and means operative by an approaching train for actuating said lock lever and releasing said lever arm.

3. The combination with a railway track including a siding and the switch, a cou pling member having rigid connection with one ofv the switch rails and slidable connection with the other switch rail, a spring connected to said coupling member and holding said pivoted switch rail yieldably at one end of its movement, another spring connected to said coupling member and to said slidable switch rail and holding the same yieldably at one end of its movement, a lever arm pivoted at one end to said coupling member, a lock member arranged to engage said lever arm and hold the same against the resistance of the yieldable holding means, and means operative by an approaching train for releasing said lock member.

4. The combination with the main rails and siding, of switch rails, a coupling member connected to said switch rails, means for yieldably connecting said slidable switch rail to said coupling member, means operating upon said coupling member to hold the switch yieldably in closed position, a lever arm pivotally connected to said coupling member, a lock lever extending into the path of said lever arm, a trip arm mounted to swing and extending transversely of the path of an approaching train, a cross arm connected to move with said trip arm, a flexible member connected to said cross arm at one end and to said lever arm and another flexible member connected to said cross arm at the other end to said trip lever.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM T. LA VVHOR-N. [L. s] ANDREW J. MARKS. [L. s] lVitnesses:

LoUIs CLEVELAND, ELMER L. POWERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

